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The 5-year Canal Importation Ponds and Outfall (CIPO) Drainage and Natural Area Improvement Project recently received multiple awards for its multi-disciplinary approach to flood mitigation and natural area and habitat improvements.

Recent honors include a 2012 Grand Award for Engineering Excellence, the top honor for design from the Colorado Association of Stormwater and Floodplain Managers (CASFM). The second award was a 2013 Engineering Excellence Merit Award, also for the project’s design and success, from American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC).

Because the project used the City of Fort Collins’ Alternative Product Delivery System (APDS), the engineers (Ayres Associates and Anderson Consulting Engineers) and contractor (Garney Construction) also received recognition.

Completed in late 2012, the most important achievement of the CIPO project is reliable flood protection for approximately 175 homes and several roadways in an area upstream from Colorado State University.

Designers also took advantage of the opportunity to accomplish much more throughout this project, including water quality and habitat improvements in Red Fox Meadows Natural Area, wildlife preservation, stream restoration, trail enhancements and opportunities for outdoor wetland education activities for nearby schools and the community.